1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a satellite dish antenna. More particularly, an automatic satellite tracking system comprises a satellite antenna system which is adapted to be easily mounted on a roof of a vehicle with no cables penetrating the roof and adapted to automatically fold flat on the roof for providing a relatively low profile at a folded position when the vehicle travels.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Satellite dish antennas are considered as one of popular communication devices. These antennas are typically installed on a fixed surface, such as a roof or a wall surface of a building, to receive the satellite signal such as TV broadcasting signal, to receive and transmit an Internet signal to the satellite. Generally speaking, the internet satellite dish antenna comprises a transmitting-receiving dish being set to align with the satellite for signal communications. Since the satellite dish antenna is a highly directional antenna, the satellite dish antenna must be stationary secured at a fixed location to precisely aim the dish at the direction of the satellite. Polarization (skew) of the transmitted signal must be precise in order to not cause interference to the opposite polarized transponder within the satellite.
The satellite dish antennas have become popular in recent years primarily for use in vehicle communication systems. Accordingly, the satellite dish antenna further comprises a roof mount to install the dish on the roof of the vehicle, such as recreational vehicle, truck, or mobile home. However, such mobile satellite dish antenna have several drawbacks.
As it is mentioned above, since the satellite dish antenna is a highly directional antenna, the dish must be manually adjusted its orientation when the vehicle travels from place to place. The tuning process requires the user to manually elevate, lower, and position the dish to the direction of the satellite, wherein the alignment of the dish is somewhat difficult due to the manual adjustment and usually resulted in low quality signal reception and possible satellite interference. Furthermore, the dish may be unintentionally shifted its orientation misalign with the direction satellite in a high wind operating environment.
The dish will be damaged during travel. Since the dish is deployed on the roof of the vehicle, it would be exposed to road wind and direct impact form road debris. Even though the dish can be collapsed on the roof of the vehicle, the overall collapsed size of the satellite dish antenna would not provide a low profile during travel.
The mobile satellite dish antennas are costly to manufacture, install, and maintain. Accordingly, the manufacture of the receiving dish itself is somewhat inexpensive. However, the roof mount, especially incorporating with a collapsible structure, will highly increase the cost of the satellite dish antenna. In addition, the installation of the satellite dish antenna is time consuming and requires an experienced technician to drill holes in the roof of the vehicle for electrical wiring.